I’ve admired Janis Joplin’s work since the days I had a crush on her in elementary school, and “Down On Me” is one of my favorites. But a year or two ago when I first heard the original recording by Eddie Head and His Family, I said “The old is better.” The lyrics aren’t anywhere online, and in several spots they’re unintelligible, so I’m inviting the LazyWeb to help me puzzle out the bits I can’t understand.
“Down On Me”
Eddie Head and his FamilyDown on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meIf I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meAin’t been to heaven but I been told
Streets are silver and the gates are gold
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on memumble mumble mumble mumble
Got nowhere to lie my head
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meAin’t a good Christian mumble mumble mumble
mumble mumble mumble and the time ain’t long
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on memumble mumble mumble mumble
mumble mumble mumble and the time ain’t long
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meJordan River is bitter and cold
Chill my body but not my soul
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meWent to the cemetery the other day
Looked in the grave and saw my mother
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on meIf I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
Down on me, down on me
Seems like everybody in the whole wide world is down on me
The entire composition provokes some questions. For instance, what’s with the penultimate verse, which doesn’t even attempt to rhyme “day” and “mother”? Or is he rhyming “other” and “mother,” such that the next line should be sounded as beginning with “day” (that’s not the way they sing it, though)? And since everyone is singing more-or-less together, what makes Eddie so special? Why not call it “The Head Family”? OK, I guess that last one answers itself.